General Election 2001 - Election Digest
Final Rasmussen/Independent Findings
Labour has a 44% share of the vote, the Tories 33% and the Liberal Democrats 16% in the last Rasmussen survey for the Independent before the election, giving Labour an eleven-point lead. (Findings are based on those saying they are very likely to vote unlike Rasmussen's previous campaign surveys.)
Three-fifths (60%) of voters believe taxes will go up over the next four years if Labour wins the election; less than 10% (no exact figure given) believe they will go down and 30% believe they will remain the same. 44% of voters, (including 77% of Labour voters), believe hospitals will get better under a re-elected Labour Government; 42% of voters, (including 72% of Labour voters), believe the same for schools. Around a quarter (no exact figures given) believe that both services will get worse under a second Labour term.
44% trust Tony Blair to tell the truth about the single European currency, compared to 33% for William Hague and 23% for Charles Kennedy.
More than half the public (52%, and 75% of Labour supporters) think a large majority for the next Government would be better for Britain compared to 46% who believe a small majority would be in Britain's interest.
Of the three main party leaders, Charles Kennedy's campaign performance is shown to have made the best impression on the electorate, with 37% saying their impression of him has gone up and 16% saying it has gone down; for both Mr Hague and Mr Blair, more say their impression has gone down than gone up.
The Rasmussen Research poll uses a methodology of computer-automated responses which has not been previously used in polling British elections.
Source: The Independent, 5 June 2001. Technical details: Rasmussen Research conducted 1,266 adults computer generated telephone interviews on 2-3 June 2001.
NOP/HTV Poll In Wales
In Wales Labour have a 35% lead over the Tories according to an NOP survey for HTV Wales. Labour are on 53%, the Tories on 18%, Plaid Cymru on 14% and the Liberal Democrats on 12%.
Source: The Times, 5 June 2001. Technical details: none given.
